Beach House Cover-Ups

Meet one family who has turned their laid-back lifestyle into a
successful business―creating washable slipcovers.

If you're working with an upholsterer to design slipcovers for your
furniture, consider this practical advice from Gina Ellis.
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When Nina, Bo, and Isabella Ellis come in from the beach, their
parents don't mind if they put their feet on the white sofa. Their
mom doesn't flinch when the black Lab presses muddy paws on a
chair's skirt. "It's washable," Gina Ellis says, shrugging.

Gina and her husband, Bill, have built their business, Quatrine
Washable Furniture, on this carefree concept. The slipcovered
furniture they make, sell, and lounge on reflects the easygoing
lifestyle they've created for their kids at the edge of a peaceful
canyon south of L.A. "We're very casual people," says Bill.

He and Gina want this bungalow in Rolling Hills, California, to
be as livable as the furniture they manufacture. "When I grew up,
there were rooms in our house that were off-limits," Bill says. "I
want my kids to be comfortable."

"The kids touch everything, and I love that," adds Gina, who
keeps stacks and stacks of art and nature books for them in the
den. She scatters shells across tabletops and places a bird's nest
within child's-eye view.

In the breakfast room, glue guns and a sewing machine mar an old
pine table, adding character. "This table is trashed--it's
perfect," Gina says. "I can throw a tablecloth over it if we
entertain. We're all about covering up. "

As carefree as that concept sounds, it led to a serious
business. Just over a decade ago, Gina and Bill summoned their
entrepreneurial spirit to launch a company. "We had an
idea--washable furniture--and I felt strongly it was going to be
successful," Bill says. "There are people selling the look, but
we're selling a lifestyle."

L.A. shoppers, including celebrities and Hollywood set
designers, bought it. Quatrine pieces won starring roles on such
shows as "Mad About You" and "Melrose Place." Bill says, "We were
at the right place at the right time."

People admire not only the furniture but also the casual, airy
look Gina gives store interiors. She creates the same mood at home.
Shells, botanical prints, and topiaries recall the nearby woodlands
and ocean. Walls painted robin's egg blue make her furniture's
crisp white slipcovers sing.

"I love the light fabrics," Gina says. "And I don't want to have
dark furniture just because of our three kids, four dogs, and seven
cats."